Culture

Revealed: The Origins of 15 of Your Favorite GIFs

Whoever created the original video usually isn't the same person who GIF-ed it. And people rarely include proper attribution, so they're difficult to accurately source.

Never fear — we've demystified a few of the classics. Now that you know where your favorite animated loops came from, you can save yourself the mental anguish, sleep well tonight and impress your friends tomorrow.

1. Excited Kid Birthday Party GIF

If you've ever wondered what actually made this kid so freaking happy, we have the answer: Torii Hunter. Though the Major League Baseball player currently plays for the Detroit Tigers, this television spot aired during his time as a right fielder for the Minnesota Twins.

To be fair, Torii Hunter looks just as happy to see the birthday boy as the birthday boy is to see Torii Hunter.

2. Spinning Disco Chicken GIF

This spinning disco chicken remains one of the most prominent "I Regret Nothing" GIFs, but the bird actually started out as a Domino's Pizza mascot. In 2008, the chain released this TV spot for its barbecue chicken and bacon pizza. Never saw the ad? That's because it only aired in Australia.

4. Fabulous Kid Dancing GIF

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the release of Madonna's "Truth or Dare, Robert Jeffrey released a video of himself voguing like mad man as a 9-year-old boy. The dancing is all Jeffrey, but the footage is from a New Hampshire casino that offered vacationers the chance to lip-sync their favorite songs in front of a blue screen.

5. That's Racist! GIF

If someone says something less than PC, this GIF is usually the response. It looks straight from Sesame Street for a reason — its show of origin satirized educational children's television shows.

Wonder Showzen was a MTV2 sketch comedy series that used puppetry, stock footage and children being interviewed to riff on politics, religion, war, sex and culture. At the very end of a skit called "Plastic Surgeons Without Borders," a child exclaims, "That's racist!"

6. Crying Fist Pump GIF

While the CW watermark is a good clue about the origins of the show, this GIF originates specifically from the sixth episode of America's Next Top Model: Cycle 14. Then 18-year-old Alasia Ballard made it through to the next round after landing in the bottom two. Those tears were tears of sheer, grateful joy.

8. Super-Excited Man GIF

If you imagine Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" playing in the back of this GIF, you're doing it right. Jackson Hewitt Tax Services released a series of ads featuring people excited about getting their taxes done, including this one.

The GIF speeds up Steve's slo-mo happy dance, which is equally glorious in the video. (To answer your question, yes, he is that excited about his taxes.)

10. WTF Is That GIF

While this GIF set looks like it came from a retro movie, it's actually ripped from a parody of '60s and '70s Italian action-adventure movies, Italian Spiderman. Australian filmmaking collective Alrugo Entertainment posted the video on YouTube in 2007.

11. Crying Under the Table With a Bottle of Wine GIF

Fans of How I Met Your Mother probably recognize this GIF. For those who don't have the show in their rotation, it is ripped from the fourth episode of Season 7. In "The Stinson Missile Crisis," Robin cries under her desk while double fisting a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates because she still has feelings for her ex, Barney.

12. Nod of Approval GIF

The 1972 western film Jeremiah Johnson centers around the titular character's wilderness adventures. The outdoorsman in question is Robert Redford (no, not Zach Galifinakas). Don't you feel validated?

13. Frustrated GIF

If this GIF doesn't look familiar to you, maybe you've come across the same guy in other images floating around your Interwebz. Many memorable GIFs have come from comedian Olan Rogers's "GHOSTS IN THE STALLS" video, commonly known as the "It's a Monday" video.

15. Crazy Eyebrows GIF

In 2009, British confectionery company Cadbury released an ad promoting their Dairy Milk chocolate. It featured two children raising their eyebrows in conjunction with music. Only the girl's eyebrow maneuvering got elevated to famed GIF status, though.

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